Arborg’s Barylski captures national championship with Midland

Manitobans played a significant role in the Midland University Warriors women’s hockey team capturing its first-ever American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) Division 1 national championship last week.

Second-ranked Midland defeated the top-ranked Liberty University Flames 4-3 in triple overtime of the national title game on March 22 in Maryland Heights, Mo. Thirteen Manitoba-born players were part of the championship roster.

The game ended on a power-play golden goal from Brandon’s Taylor Bell, assisted by Minnedosa’s Callie Maguire, with just over three minutes remaining in the third overtime.

Also skating in the Warriors’ orange and blue for the 60th time in her two seasons with Midland was former Interlake Lightning U18 AAA forward Brooke Barylski.

The 20-year-old from Arborg said the team was able to share the moment with friends and family who travelled to watch the game.

“It was such a sense of relief almost,” Barylski said Thursday. “You do so much, you work so hard all year, you have those tough talks, you have those cries, you have the highs and the lows, and all coming together was just a dream come true.”

Midland entered the game as the underdog, having lost to Liberty in the Women’s Midwest Collegiate Hockey Conference championship game a month earlier, and again in January.

Those losses, however, fuelled the team’s desire for redemption.

Midland advanced to the final with three wins at nationals: a 3-0 victory over the University of Massachusetts on March 18, a 1-0 overtime win against Adrian College on March 19, and a 4-3 overtime win over Maryville University on March 21.

Having already battled through back-to-back overtime games, Midland entered the final as the more battle-tested team.

“We kind of knew coming into it we were ranked No. 2 and nothing was going to be an easy battle, and we were going to have to overcome whatever we did,” said Barylski. “I would say all the girls on our team, we really all kind of showed up, stepped up, no matter if there was injuries, if there was sickness, whatever it was, we kind of just pushed everything aside. In the end, it just came down to who wanted it more and who had the resilience to continue to battle. These are all big games — and if you lose, you go home — and we knew that we just had to put it all out there.”

Also on her mind was representing Manitoba.

She, along with fellow Manitobans Natalie Rampton (Kenton), Heidi Danners (Wawanesa), Ava Matthews-McCulley (Portage la Prairie), Jordan Bell (Brandon), Brynn Tosh (Souris), Taylor Bell (Brandon), Haley Blaine (Brandon), Kennedy Wood (Rivers), Camryn Falloon (Winnipeg), Jaicee Huberdeau (Grande Pointe), Callie Maguire (Minnedosa) and Darbi Poole (McAuley), achieved that goal.

“Lots of people quite often think about it because there’s so many opportunities within Canada, and I think just getting the opportunity to come out here and just showing that Manitoba’s strong, Manitoba pride,” said Barylski. “All these girls that are on my team from Manitoba, you play against each other for years growing up. You play against each other and then just to come all together and build those connections, those relationships, and just show how a province can kind of all come together and build those relationships and connections is crazy. I wouldn’t ask for anything different in my life.”

The Warriors were later honoured by the school Thursday afternoon with a ringing of the bell ceremony on campus — a tradition recognizing national champions.

Located in Fremont, Neb., Midland’s championship run energized the city of about 30,000 people and sparked growing interest in the sport.

“Coming to the Midwest, obviously you don’t think it’s a huge hockey culture or world down here in this part of the States, but the college experience that I’ve got since it’s not so big, when there is a team like us, everyone goes above and beyond for us. They make it seem like we’re on top of the world almost,” said Barylski.